They first take us outside the fun Colonial city of Salta to the sparsely populated surrounding areas such as the Salinas Grandes salt desert, Jujay, Purmamarca and Humahuaca Gorge. This dry, dramatic part of Argentina is nothing like the rest of the country. See the whole story here: Touring the Salta Countryside in Northern Argentina.

The other story is on the wineries in and surrounding the picture-perfect town of Cafayate. This wine region is overshadowed by its more famous brother to the south, Mendoza, but I like Cafayate much better myself since it’s not so spread out. You can get to many of the local wineries on a rented bicycle. Or if you go on a tour as the Bennetts did (very helpful since many of the tours are in Spanish ordinarily), then you can get from your hotel to most any vineyard in less than 15 minutes, with no traffic to worry about. This is a gentle, laid-back city meant for strolling and biking and the wine snobs are few and far between. Drink, eat, and enjoy. Divine wine along Cafayate’s Ruta de Vino.

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Comments (2)

JessicaSeptember 12, 2009

Hello!

My name is Jessica and I just wanted to let you know about my trip to Mendoza wine Country!

I was there for four days with my boyfriend and I must say, it was amazing!
I toured around Luján de Cuyo, known as the land of Malbec, where the first wine-making families from Europe settled at the end of the nineteenth century, and the Uco Valley, where high altitude wines are produced.

The wineries we visited were very diferent from each another. The tastings themselves were very private and intimate. We were not expecting to taste as much wine as we did! The lunches provided on each tour were outstanding. Belive me, you will not leave hungry!

The first day, we visited Catena Zapata (I’m a great fan of their wines, specially of Nicolás Catena Zapata!), Achaval Ferrer, Ruca Malen (where we had a 5 course tasting lunch!) and Benegas (this winery has a lot of history as its owner is considered to be the founder of the wine industry in Mendoza).

The next day we toured around the Uco Valley region. What an amazing day we had! The landscape is absolutely stunning! From a view point, you have the chance to appreciate the valley and the magnificence of the Andes mountain range. There, we visited Salentein, a winery which is producing one of the best Pinot Noir Reserves. We also visited the “Killka” Convention Center, their cinema and Art Gallery.

For lunch, we went to Bistró La Tupiña, located at Bodega Altus. I have to say that it was the best gourmet lunch we ever had!

On Sunday, we took a horseback riding tour and a cooking class. It was so much fun! We not only learn how to prepare the famous “empanadas” and other local dishes but also we backrode through beautiful lanscapes with a short trekking to a waterfall. It was the perfect ending for our trip to Mendoza!

As it was the first time we were in Mendoza, we were a little concern about touring around by ourselves. That’s why, searching the web I came across with Mendoza Holidays, a boutique operation travel agency, who specializes unique, high quality, intimate wine tours at the most prestigious wineries in Mendoza. Thanks to them, we made the most of our time in Mendoza! So, if you are thinking about traveling to the land of the sun and the good wine, don’t doubt to contact them!

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